THE GENESEE FARMER. 



275 



WINE MAKING. 



Eds. Genesee Farmer : — The making of wine 

 from native grapes is now becoming a common 

 practice in this country, not only on an extensive 

 scale, but also in small quantities for u home con- 

 sumption." Within 20 miles of Cincinnati, over 

 2,000 acres are now cultivated in vineyards. The 

 Catawba is the grape chiefly grown, but there are 

 many vineyards of the Isabella also. Other varie- 

 ties are being introduced, and it is quite probable 

 that in the course of 10 or 15 years those old vari- 

 eties will be discarded for some of the new, popu- 

 lar kinds now cultivated. 



The vintage of Ohio averages from 300 to 400 

 gallons per acre, while some vineyards reach 600 

 gallons, which is usually sold at $1 per gallon. 



The Delaware grape, Herbemont, Concord, Cape, 

 and Norton's Virginia Seedling, are likewise culti- 

 vated for wine making ; but it is a difficult matter 

 to persuade the owners of vineyards to discard 

 varieties which have cost them many years of hard 

 labor, and great expense, to make room for new 

 kinds, even if they are much better than those 

 commonly cultivated. 



The following are the requisites to make good 

 wine : A cool, airy cellar, and clean cask. 



Leave the grapes upon the vines until they are 

 fully ripe, then gather them, and remove all unripe 

 or imperfect, when they are ready for the mill. 

 The must (juice) is taken directly from the press 

 and put into large casks in the cellar, when a 

 syphon is placed in the bung, and made air tight 

 around it, when the other end is put into a vessel 

 of water, immersed about four inches. This allows 

 the gas arising from fermentation to pass off, whil^ 

 no air can return into the casks. 



Where the wine from several vineyards is gath- 

 ered, a cistern is used to put the whole in, so that 

 the wine may be all of the same quality. As soon 

 as mixed, it is placed in casks for fermentation. 



Tlie wine maker is usually entirely disconnected 

 from the growing of grapes. The must is brought 

 to him, as the farmer carries his cider to the distil- 

 lery, which is sold at a low price — about $1 per 

 gallon — and the wine manufacturer attends to the 

 fermentation, fining, &c. ; and at the end of a year 

 or more, he offers his wine in the market, by the 

 cask or bottle, and at a price that affords a good 

 compensation. 



The syphon remains in the water about 15 days, 

 when the fermentation will be over ; then fill the 

 casks with the same kind of wine, and bung them 

 loosely for 10 days, when they should be driven in 



tight. The wine is now left undisturbed till the 

 following February or March, when it is racked off 

 into clean casks, and the material for fining is now 

 added, consisting of the whites of two dozen eggs 

 to every cask, well beaten and mixed with a few 

 quarts of the wine, before being turned into the 

 casks. In the following fall, it should be racked 

 again, when it is ready for bottling. 



Neither sugar nor spirits of any kind are added 

 to the must, nor to the wine at any stage of its 

 manufacture. The quality of the wine, however, 

 is far inferior to the best imported brands ; and it 

 is a mystery with many, how sale can be found, at 

 from $5 to $8 per dozen bottles, for a wine that is 

 but a grade better in flavor to good, old cider. 



But it is impossible to make wine from all kinds 

 of grapes, that will not become vinegar, without 

 using sugar, and some manufacturers contend that 

 the best wines made in this country, contain both 

 of these ingredients ; but there is a wide margin of 

 different opinions on this point, which may be set- 

 tled to the liking of each manufacturer. I am of 

 the opinion, however, that vinegar will be more 

 plenty than it has been, if all of our grape growers 

 attempt to make wine without sugar, and perhaps 

 without something stronger. 



For the benefit of those who shall desire to make 

 a few gallons or a barrel of grape wine in October 

 next, for their own use, and who have few or none 

 of the facilities of professed wine makers, I will 

 add the following rules : — 



Place the grapes in a clean, tight cask, and mash 

 them with a clothes pounder, or any similar instru- 

 ment, till the pulp and seeds are wholly separated 

 from the must. From a half bushel to three pecks 

 of grapes maybe mashed at one process; then turn 

 out the mash into another barrel or tub, and pro- 

 ceed as before till all your grapes are mashed. A 

 bag is now to be provided, made of strong strainer 

 cloth, into which place the mash in small quanti- 

 ties, and press out the must over a clean tub, by 

 first placing a board across the tub, on which the 

 bag of mash is placed, then make a lever of a strip 

 of plank, about 8 feet long, one end of which is to 

 be placed in a firm position just above the board 

 across the tub, while you take hold of the other 

 end to apply the pressure, which will be enough to 

 rend any bag but a very strong one. By placing 

 the tub on a barn floor, against a stud, a strip of 

 wood may be nailed to the stud to sustain the low- 

 er end of the lever. 



You, who are not used to such wine making, 

 will be surprised to see how speedily grapes enough 



